[UnknownVT]

Yes used Faststone to crop/enhance/sharpen the image. It seems to have a good engine to pop the colors, picasa is not that great. Used Picasa to make them smaller for web and add simple watermark.

Excellent - I have and use FastStone - but only as a viewer - as it's one of the few that can view RAW images - never thought of it as an editor - that's why I was surpised.

You are really to be congratulated for producing such stunning images more or less straight out of the K-x and using such a simple editor -
I mean it's not even one of the lower priced editors like PS Elements, PaintShop Pro or the GIMP (freeware) - much less the full blown PhotoShop or the likes of LightRoom or Aperture -
this goes to show how good the JPG engine is on the K-x without too much manipulation - and it really is down to the person behind the camera.

Well done pjr

[pjr]

Excellent - I have and use FastStone - but only as a viewer - as it's one of the few that can view RAW images - never thought of it as an editor - that's why I was surpised.

You are really to be congratulated for producing such stunning images more or less straight out of the K-x and using such a simple editor -
I mean it's not even one of the lower priced editors like PS Elements, PaintShop Pro or the GIMP (freeware) - much less the full blown PhotoShop or the likes of LightRoom or Aperture -
this goes to show how good the JPG engine is on the K-x without too much manipulation - and it really is down to the person behind the camera.

Well done pjr

Thanks very much.. yes K-x jpeg images are good out of camera but provides good opportunity to enhance further. On average I played around 3-5 minutes per image. I tried in picasa but they are not as nice looking and I don't have patience to go with PSE or gimp.

Here are a couple of black and whites. All done with faststone.

[UnknownVT]

I used sports mode for that picture. Its pretty good at tracking subjects. I took around 20-30 pictures.. got a couple of good ones. This flying wasp is the best one.

The reason why I asked about the AF - was because a flying wasp is small and relatively fast moving - especially when the narrower depth of field involved using a focal length as long as 210mm (315mm equiv).

I take it that you didn't have too many problems with AF?

[pjr]

no..its fast. As long as you don't have obstruction focusing is good. If there are obstructions..depending on how your camera/hand moves it keeps on changing focus. So you need to snap when it focuses on the subject you want.

I had issue with manual focusing.. I couldn't accurately focus manually, its hit and miss. Yesterday I salvaged a split screen focus screen from old pentax SLR I bought from thrift store. Now my manual focusing is getting better.

[UnknownVT]

no..its fast. As long as you don't have obstruction focusing is good. If there are obstructions..depending on how your camera/hand moves it keeps on changing focus. So you need to snap when it focuses on the subject you want.

Cool!

Makes one wonder why there are always so many complaints with Pentax dSLR's AF on this forum.......

Popular Photography is one of the few reviews that actually tests AF at different light levels - and Pentax seems to do very well in good light - often faster than any of the comparable "pasture is greener" Canikons -
yet every time I mention this - showing the respective AF speed test results, no one even acknowledges it (I guess because that would be an admission even with the superior/faster good light AF of Pentax - they couldn't manage to focus properly?)

Here's proof positive that Pentax dSLR AF does work very well, try tracking a wasp just by pointing with one's finger to see what I mean.

I had issue with manual focusing.. I couldn't accurately focus manually, its hit and miss. Yesterday I salvaged a split screen focus screen from old pentax SLR I bought from thrift store. Now my manual focusing is getting better.

Are you saying you changed out the focusing screen on the K-x?
was it an easy installation/exchange/fit?

Did that affect exposure metering?
- how about center point AF?

[pjr]

Cool!

Makes one wonder why there are always so many complaints with Pentax dSLR's AF on this forum.......

Popular Photography is one of the few reviews that actually tests AF at different light levels - and Pentax seems to do very well in good light - often faster than any of the comparable "pasture is greener" Canikons -
yet every time I mention this - showing the respective AF speed test results, no one even acknowledges it (I guess because that would be an admission even with the superior/faster good light AF of Pentax - they couldn't manage to focus properly?)

Here's proof positive that Pentax dSLR AF does work very well, try tracking a wasp just by pointing with one's finger to see what I mean.



Are you saying you changed out the focusing screen on the K-x?
was it an easy installation/exchange/fit?

Did that affect exposure metering?
- how about center point AF?

I didn't see any problems with exposure.

The focus screen from old broken SLR is much bigger than K-x focus screen. So I had to cut/sand it to get to size. It takes a while. If you enjoy repairing gadgets... then I would say its little painful than easy.

Hard part is getting teh split screen into center of the view finder . If you cut/sand it wrong.. then it messes up your focus screen.

Also old focus screens are strong..didn't try to do anything to my k-x screen so don't know how hard it is.

Put nonstick scotch tape around focus screen..and sand it to size.


By the way this was taken after focus screen change.

[UnknownVT]

Yes used Faststone to crop/enhance/sharpen the image. It seems to have a good engine to pop the colors, picasa is not that great. Used Picasa to make them smaller for web and add simple watermark.

I just played with editing in FastStone 4.2 -
I wanted to see if I could edit RAW images -
seemed to be able to do it both on a DNG for the K-x and a PEF from a K100D
I am pretty sure it processed/converted the RAW images (as opposed to processing the embedded JPG) - using PhotoMe on the processed/converted PEF file I see the software used was: dcraw v8.99 - but for some reason on the DNG conversion the software field stays as the K-x firmware version.

I didn't see any problems with exposure.

The focus screen from old broken SLR is much bigger than K-x focus screen. So I had to cut/sand it to get to size. It takes a while. If you enjoy repairing gadgets... then I would say its little painful than easy.

By the way this was taken after focus screen change.

OK, I'm impressed - don't think I'd dare do something like that.

Are you saying the wasp close-up was by manual focus, or AF?

[pjr]

I just played with editing in FastStone 4.2 -
I wanted to see if I could edit RAW images -
seemed to be able to do it both on a DNG for the K-x and a PEF from a K100D
I am pretty sure it processed/converted the RAW images (as opposed to processing the embedded JPG) - using PhotoMe on the processed/converted PEF file I see the software used was: dcraw v8.99 - but for some reason on the DNG conversion the software field stays as the K-x firmware version.



OK, I'm impressed - don't think I'd dare do something like that.

Are you saying the wasp close-up was by manual focus, or AF?

Its autofocus.. focus screen didn't affect any autofocus. Still working on getting manual focus right.. hopefully soon

[JHD]

thanks... do you use winxp or win7? may be win7 only has that exif feature.

XP w SP3

[bobmaxja]

If you use the sport auto focus, the AF is very fast , I experiment last week and was very surprised

[yoshizuki]

the 55-300 is currently my favorite lens. didn't think i would like it as much.

[Unsinkable II]

The 55-300 gets more use than all my other lenses. It has a tendency to focus hunt, but I still really like it.

[pjr]

Here are few more from my awesome 55-300. Except bird photo all other 3 are manual focus(using my new salvaged focus screen). Now I miss quick shift focus on the lens. I am concerned that moving AF/MF switch back and forth may break it at sometime.

Can someone share their ideas on how durable is AF/MF switch on body?

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

[lectrolink]

The 55-300 is also useful for certain types of landscapes. This one was taken in Death Valley from quite a distance. I didn't need the full power, but needed more than100mm.

[NaClH2O]

thanks... do you use winxp or win7? may be win7 only has that exif feature.

I'm using xp pro and am having no trouble reading exif data right off the post. I use Iexif.

NaCl(not as much info as photome, but only a click away)H2O